nsacpi
Expects Yuge Games
Some team without much pitching will sign him to a major league deal. But I doubt it is us. We have much better alternatives, especially if we bring back Hudson, which I expect to happen.
If we lose this series what then for next year
- Thread starter jcc03004
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Some team without much pitching will sign him to a major league deal. But I doubt it is us. We have much better alternatives, especially if we bring back Hudson, which I expect to happen.
zitothebrave
Connoisseur of Minors
Unless they massively frontload those contracts there won't be much of a threat.
Braves will have a payroll of at least 95 million, probably higher. BOssman, Uggla, Justin, Laird and Reed's option not being picked up totals 43.3 M. We have a bunch of arb players, Medlen, CJ, Jason, Pena, Venters, and Martinez are arb 2, the first 3 will get healthy raises, the latter 3 will get a small one. Then for arb 1 we have Freddie, Kimbrel, Walden, Schafer and Beachy.
Of that group you have 2 guys who'll probably get like 1M or so with Beachy and Walden, Schafer should not make more than about 700K or so, if he asks for more trade him cause he's not worth it. Then you have Freddie and Kimbrel who'll be in the 4-6 range. We should be able to afford them all if we don't keep Mac. If we keep Mac then we have more issues. Honestly we can probably keep this team sans Maholm, EOF, Downs, Reed, and probably Janish if they move the money from the TV deal to this team.
zitothebrave
Connoisseur of Minors
And use that money on?
Listen if there's a way they can trade Medlen and Mac and keep Kimbrel, Jason, Justin, and Freddie together I'm all for it. But that money would just sit there for nothing. Gattis would likely bring more in a trade than Medlen or at least as much. We could keep Mac around short term.
nsacpi
Expects Yuge Games
Our payroll this year was in the 90-95M range. National TV revenues go up next year by 28M per year per team. That's right 28M per year per team. Historically, baseball teams allocate a little over half of their revenue stream to players salaries. The only period where this rule did not hold was during the Ueberroth collusion era. It is likely our payroll will be in the 105-110 range next year.
So payroll goes up $15M or so from the national TV contract. We also have four significant contracts coming off the books--McCann, Hudson, EOF, Maholm--that totaled almost $32M. Wren will have a fair amount of financial wiggle room this off-season. If Medlen gets traded, it won't be because of payroll contraints, or having to make room to acquire another player. The room is there already.
So payroll goes up $15M or so from the national TV contract. We also have four significant contracts coming off the books--McCann, Hudson, EOF, Maholm--that totaled almost $32M. Wren will have a fair amount of financial wiggle room this off-season. If Medlen gets traded, it won't be because of payroll contraints, or having to make room to acquire another player. The room is there already.
zitothebrave
Connoisseur of Minors
Neither of those will happen.
Runnin
Well-known member
There's a lot of mileage to get out of journeymen vets who have stuck around long enough to learn how to pitch with the stuff they have left. They subtract innings away from your younger, more valuable arms and are good for mentoring. Moyer was pretty good for Philly for a couple of years. Every pitching staff needs a few crafty vets and they become more valuable later in the season.
nsacpi
Expects Yuge Games
So what would Garcia's role be on a team that hypothetically had Hudson, Minor, Medlen, Teheran, Beachy, Wood as candidates for the rotation.
Do you use him as long-man in the pen? I suppose that's a possibility, but I prefer a younger player with some upside such as David Hale in that role.
You can always pick up a player like Garcia off the waiver wire.
nsacpi
Expects Yuge Games
Where do you put that stockpile. We carry 12 pitchers on the major league roster. We have a long list of guys competing for those twelve spots. We have a very good group of 10-12 who will be in AAA next year who either pitched there or in AA this past season.
Runnin
Well-known member
I agree. We won't need Garcia with a healthy Hudson unless he wants to wait in Gwinnett for a callup. We've got too much young talent to need him until injuries hit.
Julio3000
<B>A Chip Off the Old Rock</B>
If we've got ML ready arms, then we should be more proactive using them, I guess. Walden was/is an injury risk. Avilan seemed beat at the end of the year. Fredi doesn't trust Varvaro. We were giving the ball to Kameron Loe down the stretch.
I suppose it depends which of Huddy/EOF/Venters comes back.
nsacpi
Expects Yuge Games
We were thin in AAA pitching this year, especially starting pitching. However, looking at the group of pitchers we had in AA as well as the likely holdovers in AAA we are going to have much better depth in AAA next year.
Next year's AAA staff projects to have: Martin, Gilmartin, Hale, Thomas, Northcraft, Schlosser, Harper, Lamm, Jaime. We could also keep Poveda and Obispo by putting them on the 40-man roster. It is a much better group than what we had at the start of the 2013 season. Every year is a bit different. Last off-season there was a need to find some AAAA type pitchers to fill out the Gwinnett rotation. This off-season, there is much less need for that.
Hudson2
Well-known member
I let Mac walk next year. Love him to death but I'd rather use the money to extend all of our guys. It's more important to the future of this team to sign Freeman and Heyward long term than to give an aging catcher a long term deal. If the Yanks lose Cano I'd contact them about Uggla and eat 5 million a year of his deal. They could handle that. Put Hale in the deal to make it more enticing for them.
There's not a lot we can do. I would love a change at manager but it's not happening. Uggla HAS to be gone. Regardless if we trade him and eat most of his salary or release him. He cannot be on the team next year. I would like to aim higher but I think Infante is a perfect fit to bring back. BJ has to be given every opportunity to straighten things out next year. Other then that.....I definitely let Mac go and had the job over to Gattis. I have a lot of confidence in our rotation next year with what we have on the roster. I think a rotation of Minor, Medlen, Teheran, Beachy, Wood could be outstanding. BUT I quietly shop for a bonafide ace. If one becomes available then we do what we can to get one. If not, there's no reason to bring in a SP.
Heyward RF
Simmons SS
Freeman 1B
Justin LF
Gattis C
CJ 3B
BJ CF
new 2B (we need a high average low strikeout 2B that can bat 2nd)
Heyward RF
Simmons SS
Freeman 1B
Justin LF
Gattis C
CJ 3B
BJ CF
new 2B (we need a high average low strikeout 2B that can bat 2nd)
A whole lot of crazy talk going on in this thread...
I feel like I must repeat this: This team won 96 games this year, after winning 94 games last year.
Again, teams bring guys in from outside the organization only when they can not fill a position internally. JUp was brought in to replace that cornerstone bat the team lost when Chipper retired. BJ was brought in (overpaid for) because there was literally zero OF talent in the organization. Uggla was traded for because there was zero RHed power in the organization.
There is practically zero chance the Braves import any starting pitching. Teheran and Minor are perfectly capable of taking the next step to becoming legit Aces. Medlen, Hudson and Wood are perfectly capable of filling out a solid MLB rotation. Beachy is a question mark, but he should be able to provide quality innings as long as his arm stays attached to his body. I just don't see the Braves spending the resources required to retool a pitching staff that just led the league in ERA.
I have my issues with Gattis, but there is no way you commit huge money to an aging catcher when you have a perfectly viable alternative making league minimum and a backup in Laird that is also very good in limited action. Mac will be picked up by some AL team and will go on to have another great handful of years where he can DH 50-60 games per year.
BJ has to be given another shot in CF, but Wren must do something about 2B. Whether they bench, trade, or release Uggla, he can not be Plan A next year. They need to bring in a legit MLB player for 2B and at best let Uggla compete for the job. And no, Pastor or EJ are NOT legit MLB players...neither is LaStella. I know we are going to hear stories all offseason about how Uggla is working hard, playing winter ball, seeing new eye specialists, and all other nonsense, but the fact remains he can not be Plan A...under any circumstances.
Other than 2B, pretty much bring everyone back and make extensions where they make sense.
Remember: This team has won 190 games over the past 2 years.
I feel like I must repeat this: This team won 96 games this year, after winning 94 games last year.
Again, teams bring guys in from outside the organization only when they can not fill a position internally. JUp was brought in to replace that cornerstone bat the team lost when Chipper retired. BJ was brought in (overpaid for) because there was literally zero OF talent in the organization. Uggla was traded for because there was zero RHed power in the organization.
There is practically zero chance the Braves import any starting pitching. Teheran and Minor are perfectly capable of taking the next step to becoming legit Aces. Medlen, Hudson and Wood are perfectly capable of filling out a solid MLB rotation. Beachy is a question mark, but he should be able to provide quality innings as long as his arm stays attached to his body. I just don't see the Braves spending the resources required to retool a pitching staff that just led the league in ERA.
I have my issues with Gattis, but there is no way you commit huge money to an aging catcher when you have a perfectly viable alternative making league minimum and a backup in Laird that is also very good in limited action. Mac will be picked up by some AL team and will go on to have another great handful of years where he can DH 50-60 games per year.
BJ has to be given another shot in CF, but Wren must do something about 2B. Whether they bench, trade, or release Uggla, he can not be Plan A next year. They need to bring in a legit MLB player for 2B and at best let Uggla compete for the job. And no, Pastor or EJ are NOT legit MLB players...neither is LaStella. I know we are going to hear stories all offseason about how Uggla is working hard, playing winter ball, seeing new eye specialists, and all other nonsense, but the fact remains he can not be Plan A...under any circumstances.
Other than 2B, pretty much bring everyone back and make extensions where they make sense.
Remember: This team has won 190 games over the past 2 years.
nsacpi
Expects Yuge Games
Pretty much agree, but I think at second they will give the internal second base options spring training and the first couple months of the regular season to let someone stake a claim to the job. If no one does so, then I think we'll see a mid-season trade. Wren is comfortable leaving one hole to be filled at some point in the regular season if the internal options don't work out.
VirginiaBrave
Well-known member
I don't know, if the Dodger series proved anything it proved anything, it proved we need a true number one. Medlen's not that guy, Julio could be that guy but not next year. Hudson should be signed to be the number 2. Minor slots in at 3, Medlen/Julio at 4, the other at 5. There is not a guy in that rotation that is a stopper at this point of their career. Go get one!!!